Transcript REPORTING ON DISABILITY Prepared by: Christopher Karadjov Associate Professor Department of Journalism and Mass Communication California State University, Long Beach ©2013

REPORTING ON DISABILITY
Prepared by:
Christopher Karadjov
Associate Professor
Department of Journalism and Mass Communication
California State University, Long Beach
©2013
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Major requirement
Typical enrollment: 20 students in 4-6 sections
per semester
Exclusively journalism majors/minors
(including public relations track)
Lecture + lab format with a significant writing
component
In-class and online (BeachBoard) discussions
play a substantial role
Various reporting exercises
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Disability is currently not covered adequately
in this basic reporting course
Students are not comfortable when reporting
on the disabled (shy and ineffective in
questioning)
Lack of knowledge of issues
Poor interviewing leads to superficial stories
With some 40 million disabled Americans
(15%), no media professional can afford to lack
in preparation on such issues
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Challenging students in a safe classroom
setting
Working with them to find the right balance of
inquisitiveness and restraint
Helping students build their knowledge of the
disabled
Alerting them to stereotypes and “easy” story
lines (such as “heroism” or concentrating only
on accessibility issues)
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1. The instructor arranges interview with a
disabled person, using local resources (DSS,
community referral, support groups, etc.)
2. Students spend one hour familiarizing
themselves with the particular disability and its
issues; particularly valuable information comes
from discussion forums
3. Students spend another hour preparing
questions in consultation with each other
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4. Students spend one hour interviewing the
subject; instructor is present and offers support
and guidance as needed
5. Students conclude by sharing their
experiences from the interview
6. Students receive debriefing by the instructor
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Let the interviewee tell his/her story!
Adjust the line of questioning as needed
Preparation is very important (disabilityrelated discussion forums are more valuable
than mainstream media)
Instructor’s guidance should be minimal; the
goal is to challenge students in a safe
environment
Debriefing is crucial to understanding mistakes
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Ethical reporting requires finding the balance
between intrusiveness and restraint
Know the background of the respective
disability
Don’t fall for the “easy” story line (i.e., black
and white narratives)
The interviewee has the final say on what is
appropriate – but probe for answers
Maintain professional attitude
Listen!
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Training future media professionals to cover
difficult subjects
Enhancing the understanding of the disabled
community
Confronting stereotypes and superficiality
Developing skills that allow for ethically sound
but also effective reporting
Diversifying students’ classroom experience
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These guidelines are only a suggestion –
instructors should create their own scenarios
and timelines
The main principles, however, are valid across
the board
A modification of this exercise will have
students interview disabled subjects on their
own turf, not in classroom
Writing a story (portrait, feature) is optional
but highly recommended